Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent.
With the 1993 secession of Eritrea, its former province along the Red Sea, Ethiopia became landlocked.
Ethiopia is strategically located in the Horn of Africa. Its proximity to the Middle East and Europe, together with its easy access to the major ports of the region, enhances its international trade.
Ethiopia shares borders with several countries:
- Eritrea to the north
- Djibouti to the northeast
- Somalia to the east
- Kenya to the south
- South Sudan to the west
- Sudan to the northwest
Location of Ethiopia in Africa.
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A Brief Overview of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is one of the world’s oldest countries, its territorial extent having varied over the millennia of its existence. In ancient times it remained centred on Aksum, an imperial capital located in the northern part of the modern state, about 100 miles (160 km) from the Red Sea coast. The present territory was consolidated during the 19th and 20th centuries as European powers encroached into Ethiopia’s historical domain.
Ethiopia became prominent in modern world affairs first in 1896, when it defeated colonial Italy in the Battle of Adwa, and again in 1935-36, when it was invaded and occupied by fascist Italy. Liberation during World War II by the Allied powers set the stage for Ethiopia to play a more prominent role in world affairs.
Ethiopia was among the first independent nations to sign the Charter of the United Nations, and it gave moral and material support to the decolonization of Africa and to the growth of Pan-African cooperation.
The capital is Addis Ababa (“New Flower”), located almost at the centre of the country.
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with over 80 different ethnic groups. Christianity is the most widely professed faith in the country, with the largest denomination being the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. After Christianity, Ethiopia houses a significant minority of adherents to Islam and a small percentage to traditional faiths.
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This sovereign state is a founding member of the UN, the Group of 24, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, and the Organisation of African Unity. Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the African Union, the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Standby Force and many of the global non-governmental organizations focused on Africa.
Ethiopia is one of the least developed countries but is sometimes considered an emerging power, having the fastest economic growth in sub-Saharan African countries because of foreign direct investment in expansion of agricultural and manufacturing industries; agriculture is the country's largest economic sector, accounting for over 37% of the gross domestic product as of 2022.
Neighboring Countries in Detail
Eritrea
The most northerly neighbour of Ethiopia is Eritrea. Eritrea was occupied by the Italians in the nineteenth century and became one of its colonies officially in 1890.
Somalia
Somalia is next, a large country bordering most of eastern Ethiopia. Somalia was never formally colonised, although various European nations had interests in the country at various times in history.
Kenya
Kenya lies to the south of Ethiopia.
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Sudan
Finally, the huge expanse of the Sudan lies firmly to the west of Ethiopia (it is the largest country in Africa). It’s independence was gained in 1956, although many years of civil war disrupted the country right into the 21st century.
Geography of Ethiopia
Ethiopia covers 1,112,000 square kilometers (472,000 sq. From the north and running down the centre are the Abyssinian highlands. To the west of the chain the land drops to the grasslands of Sudan, to the east to the deserts of the Afar. Ethiopia’s central plateau varies in height between 2,000 and 3,000 meters.
The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile or Abbay, which flows a distance of 1,450 kilometers from its source to join the White Nile at Khartoum.
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